"They Made Me a Criminal", directed Busby Berkeley

Movie, 1939

Boxing movie which looks tired and dated, even if the opening premise, at least, is intriguing. After a while, the plot, acting and narrative all flop, leaving a pretty mundane picture with a few baffling scenes which do little to carry the action forward or comment on the main plot (borrowed from an earlier film). Difficult to know who this film was aimed for, and although not impossible to watch, it's quite a struggle. Some interesting character developments - not least in the central protagonist - though not enough to sustain interest.

"The Man Who Came to Dinner", directed by William Keighley

Movie, 1942

Cracking, irreverant farce with a glorious procession of hard dyed stereotypes, gags, plot twists and situations which are as cruel as they are ridiculous. Presiding within and directing this cacophony, or so he'd like to think is main character, the wonderfully over the top, snarling Sheridan Whiteside. A grotesque beaut. A film like this, where every character except the slightly annoying male love interest, could easily have had a nervous breakdown, is pretty much beyond criticism. One to let wash over you and enjoy. It's also a rare example of an enclosed 'filmed play' which doesn't suffer from being set bound.